A transient transfection assay to test the effect of transiently-expressed, potentially cytotoxic inhibitors on HIV virus infection was developed in HeLa cells. This assay allowed inhibitors known to block expression of HIV-dependent reporter constructs in transient transfection assays to be tested for their effects on virus infection under identical conditions. Initial experiments indicate that a fusion of the DNA-binding domain of NFkappaB p50 and p65 to the inhibitory domain of the ETS family suppressor protein, ERF, is able to reduce the level of HIV p24 expression following transient transfection of HeLa cells and infection with the IIIB strain of HIV.